


Coming home

by Signe_chan



Series: I'm on my way [4]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, I made Jack Zimmermann hold a baby, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 22:24:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10931247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Signe_chan/pseuds/Signe_chan
Summary: In her car seat, in the back, Lily was watching him. Her big brown eyes staring at him every time he swung back to look at her. She smiled at gummy smile as he made faces at her. Giggled and waved the toy rabbit he’d tucked into the car seat beside her.





	Coming home

Eric couldn’t stop looking back over his shoulder. It was a good thing he wasn’t driving. Normally, he insisted on being the driver, Jack drove like he expected the others cars to randomly swerve into him at any second and it irritated Eric no end. 

Today, he didn’t mind. He didn’t even mind that Jack was driving even slower and more cautiously than usual, though the people in the cars around them seemed to. 

In her car seat, in the back, Lily was watching him. Her big brown eyes staring at him every time he swung back to look at her. She smiled at gummy smile as he made faces at her. Giggled and waved the toy rabbit he’d tucked into the car seat beside her. 

His baby. His daughter. 

“Is she okay,” Jack asked, voice tight. And of course it was worse for him. He’d never done this before. He’d had some kind of fantasy that they’d fill out a few forms and then a baby would be delivered. He hadn’t expected the paperwork. The checks. The endless meetings and then the introduction. The visits. He’d wanted to take her home the first time so badly, they all had. Eric had spent that first ride home talking loudly about how everyone just wanted what was best for her and that was great. 

Three months. That was how long it took them to be sure. Three months of visits. Three months of bringing her home for an hour, a day, a weekend, then taking her back. 

And now she was theirs. 

“She’s great,” Eric said, softly. “She’s so beautiful. She’s perfect.” 

“I know,” Jack sounded proud. Bewildered a little too, maybe, but proud. 

They were taking her home. She was going to be theirs. Forever. She was going to sleep tonight in her nursery that they’d painted for her when they’d set out on this road and it was going to be her room until she was old enough to not need them any more. Which would hopefully be a very long time away. 

“We’re nearly there,” Jack said, softly. A promise. Eric turned in his chair to lean back. To touch her hand. She gripped his finger and smiled. Giggled. 

He’d been waiting for so long. 

Then Jack was pulling into the yard. Parking. The place was crowded but everyone had left them room. There was a banner above the door, welcome home Lily. Michael had been up since 7am decorating. Given that he didn’t normally drag himself out of bed until midday, that was amazing. 

Jack stopped. They got out of the car. 

They’d talked about this all before hand, of course. Eric had had this before, the coming home. So it was okay for Jack to pick her up. Hold her tight as they turned to the door. 

Of course, Michael coming home hadn’t been quite like this. Eric and Steve had picked him up, driven home to an empty house. Had dinner. Watched a movie together as a family. It had been nice but anti-climatic. 

They didn’t even make it up the steps before the door was opening. Michael was the first out, beaming. He was starting to grow into his height, a little taller than Jack, but still tended to trip over his own feet sometimes. He came rushing forward, stopping just short of barreling into Jack to look at her. 

Lily giggled at him. Reached out her little arms for him and he lent in to hug both her and Jack quickly. 

“She’s finally home?” 

“Yes,” Eric agreed. “She’s finally home. Come on, let’s show her off.” 

The house was swarming. Eric’s mom accosted them in the doorway, leaning in to press kisses to Lily’s cheeks, and then Jack and Eric’s too for good measure. Then Coach, putting his arm around Eric and telling him how proud he was of him. Like Eric had done anything but pick her up. 

Alicia made grabby hands when she saw her but Jack clearly wasn’t for letting go yet, which Eric understood entirely. He did the rounds gamely, though. Lily nestled in his arms as she was shown to Bob, to Lardo and Shitty, to Chris and Caitlyn and their brood, to Ransom and Holster, camped out by the grill in the back yard like grilling was a professional sport, and to Tater, who pulled faces at her and talked to them at length about his own son, a month younger than her and, apparently, perfect. 

Someone put on quiet music. Food started to come in from the grill and people started to go out. The living room emptying as people headed away in groups. 

Jack met Eric’s eye. They nodded then slipped away. Headed up the stairs with her still safe in Jack’s arms. 

It felt momentous. It felt like the start of something new. Something bigger than them. 

They’d already started talking about adopting another child. In a couple of years, maybe. When Michael was settled in college and Lily was settled here. But a real thing that was going to happen. 

“Are you doing okay,” Eric asked, closing the nursery door behind him. “That was a little intense.” 

“Intense but good,” Jack said, shifting Lily in his arms. “It felt good to finally let them meet her. I’m glad we waited but, still. It feels like she’s part of the family now.” 

“She really is,” Eric said. He stepped closer and when he opened his arms, Jack passed her over. Let Eric hold her close, breathing in her scent of baby powder and milk. She babbled and grabbed at him then settled, laying her head on his shoulder. 

Before he knew it, she was going to be fourteen and giving him hell. He couldn’t wait to see all the ways she’d find to break their hearts. 

“Should we go back down?” Jack asked, glancing at the door.

“Not yet.” Eric nodded at the rocking chair and Jack smiled. Sat. Eric was still light enough that he could sit on Jack’s lap, just, so he did, holding Lily between them. She blinked up at them from under long eyelashes. Fighting sleep them slowly succumbing. 

The sounds of their family, their friends, drifted up from below and Eric let himself relax. He was sat on his husband’s lap, baby dozing in his arms. For so many years he’d thought he’d never have this. And he’d been okay. But now it was here. Now they’d made it and he felt like a tear had been mended. Like a part of himself had been sewn back together. 

Then the nursery door opened. Michael, still obviously bubbling with excitement, let himself in. 

“Can I hold her yet?” 

“She’s sleeping,” Eric said, softly. “You can hold her when she wakes up.” 

“Fair,” Michael agreed, coming over to lean against the back of the chair. He smiled down at Eric over Jack’s head and Eric smiled, the last stitch pulling tight so he was whole again. 

It’d taken longer than he’d thought but he had it. His family. 

He’d never been happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Did I hear someone say there wasn't enough baby in this fic? I think I did.


End file.
